Resolutions… this is the time of year when everyone wants to know what your intentions are for the coming year and every year, we oblige them by ticking off the stand bys… eat healthier, lose weight, spend less money, read the greatest novels of all time… perhaps that’s not a stand by for you, but it is for me.
This year, I’m taking a different approach. Instead we’re going with a theme: Family First. Yes, a cliché… how novel… but I figured something out. If I start to put the needs of my family before everything else, I will have the life I have been trying to get for years. I’m not talking a martyr thing were I give and give and then cry about how I do all the work. It’s the little things. Like making sure it’s quiet during the day so my night shift husband doesn’t make a mistake at work that could cost him his job or even worse… cost someone their lives. It’s making sure I go to the gym so the kids will have a mom who is healthy enough to yell at the refs when they make a bad call. It’s working on my book so that someday I can show my kids how following your passion can lead to a successful career. It’s about making sure not only I get to recharge my batteries with my friends, but that Louis does as well. It’s making sure that God is at the center of our home instead of a great uncle you see a couple times a month.
It’s about making the choice not to buy the toy because the kids need to understand they aren’t entitled to everything they want. It’s guarding our calendar so that everything that’s on the schedule is making us better as a unit.
Putting my family first will also remind me to savor the moments. Sure, they aren’t the Brady bunch or Cleaver family moments where everyone learns a valuable lesson… but when this life is over, it probably won’t be the iPads and remote control cars we hold on to. It will be the memory of playing cards against your mom on the iPads or racing against your dad with his old remote control car. It will be the moments in life that set our time on earth apart. Have more moments in 2011. And don’t forget to be bold.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
End of the Year Cram Session
I've done it again.
This time last year I had planned to have my manuscript completed and ready to submit to agents. Luckily, I realized it wasn't ready. And so began another year of working on the book. But I have to be honest, it has been a roller coaster ride and right now, I am on the slow agonizing climb up that second time around. Getting motivated has been a problem. Not because I've lost my love of my characters or that writing has become a passing fancy. Quite the opposite. Life always has a way of creeping in!
I have become an instant gratification person. I want it now. But, as anyone in the writing business can attest... this is not how publishing happens, especially for an unagented, first time novelist in the YA genre where books about the supernatural are a dime a dozen. It moves slowly and patience and determination are a must.
Okay, I am patient. I am determined. I am much more patient than the three and five year olds who I have been blessed to raise, though they appear to have the upper hand on determination. Balancing life and writing is something that has been hard for me. I love my career, as unpaid as it might be. I love my children, as unpaid as being their mom might be. And sometimes, one must suffer for the other. There have been times where the writing has usurped time I would have normally spent with them, but lately, they have taken the reigns and my writing time has turned into wind down time. Hard to get the late night creative juices flowing when all you want to do is climb into bed with a glass of wine and watch mind-numbing movies to escape from the pile of dirty dishes still waiting for you in the sink.
The end of the year is approaching. I have 10 days until we ring in 2011. I have 10 chapters that need edits transcribed, and one last read through to catch all the minor changes that need to be made. I think I can do it. I can at least get the edits in before Christmas. But I hope the new year will bring with it wisdom to find balance in a life that is constantly demanding more and more. I hope the priorities that have been reshuffling themselves finally find a place where everything fits. And I hope that when I look back at 2011, I will be agonizing over edits to book number two while listening to my oldest read to my youngest and my husband snoozing quietly in the recliner. Sometimes the boldest thing to do is let go. So be bold, my friends, and if I haven't said it, Happy Holidays!
This time last year I had planned to have my manuscript completed and ready to submit to agents. Luckily, I realized it wasn't ready. And so began another year of working on the book. But I have to be honest, it has been a roller coaster ride and right now, I am on the slow agonizing climb up that second time around. Getting motivated has been a problem. Not because I've lost my love of my characters or that writing has become a passing fancy. Quite the opposite. Life always has a way of creeping in!
I have become an instant gratification person. I want it now. But, as anyone in the writing business can attest... this is not how publishing happens, especially for an unagented, first time novelist in the YA genre where books about the supernatural are a dime a dozen. It moves slowly and patience and determination are a must.
Okay, I am patient. I am determined. I am much more patient than the three and five year olds who I have been blessed to raise, though they appear to have the upper hand on determination. Balancing life and writing is something that has been hard for me. I love my career, as unpaid as it might be. I love my children, as unpaid as being their mom might be. And sometimes, one must suffer for the other. There have been times where the writing has usurped time I would have normally spent with them, but lately, they have taken the reigns and my writing time has turned into wind down time. Hard to get the late night creative juices flowing when all you want to do is climb into bed with a glass of wine and watch mind-numbing movies to escape from the pile of dirty dishes still waiting for you in the sink.
The end of the year is approaching. I have 10 days until we ring in 2011. I have 10 chapters that need edits transcribed, and one last read through to catch all the minor changes that need to be made. I think I can do it. I can at least get the edits in before Christmas. But I hope the new year will bring with it wisdom to find balance in a life that is constantly demanding more and more. I hope the priorities that have been reshuffling themselves finally find a place where everything fits. And I hope that when I look back at 2011, I will be agonizing over edits to book number two while listening to my oldest read to my youngest and my husband snoozing quietly in the recliner. Sometimes the boldest thing to do is let go. So be bold, my friends, and if I haven't said it, Happy Holidays!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
A Writer Gives Thanks
Tis the season to give thanks, and I must admit, as I reflect on the past year, I have much to be thankful for. Sometimes the things we want most in our lives, the things we yearn for in the quietest places of our mind, have a way of working out when we aren’t paying attention. And regardless of how big or small they are, we are forever changed by them.
So I offer up the things I am so very grateful for… from a writer’s perspective.
I am grateful that I have an understanding husband who not only allows me time away from the house to work, but rarely questions when I let him know I just ordered another $100 worth of ink or that I have overdue books at the library… okay, he really doesn’t like the last one, but he deals with it. I am blessed that, while he’s had the nerve to call my passion for writing a “hobby”, people I don’t know report that he’s been keeping them informed on my progress.
I’m thankful that I have two young kids who play really well together when mom is in an editing frenzy. But even more than that, I’m glad I have children who will, without provocation, go to their “personal library” and pick a book off the shelf to read. But even more than that, I’m grateful for the creative minds that are beginning to blossom as they immerse themselves in creative play and take delight in making up stories and songs to entertain us during dinner.
I am thankful for the friends who have been constant sources of encouragement, especially when I’ve been on the brink of quitting. The ones who have read parts or all of my book and said they really, really loved it, even though I look at it and think, “What crap.” I am also blessed that they seem to know just when I need a Girl’s Night Out (GNO) or just a coffee break for some over-priced java concoction… after all, you can’t put a dollar amount on getting your cup refilled.
Speaking of GNOs and coffee breaks, I’m thankful for the baristas and servers who remember I’m writing a book and ask me about it when I see them. Strangers have an odd way of holding you accountable. By giving my “elevator pitch” to someone I’ve never met, I’m encouraged that while this book may not be the one that launches my career, my ideas stir interest in someone who really has no vested interest in the books success or failure.
Another group of strangers I’m thankful for are the agents and publishers who blog about the complicated and sometimes frustrating industry of the written word. I have learned so much about what to do, and more important, what not to do that the process seems just a little less daunting. These people don’t have to blog. They don’t have to tweet. But they do, and for whatever their reason, I am a better writer because of it.
On that note, I am so very, very grateful for social media. And by social media I mean, of course, Facebook and Twitter. How else would someone who proudly embraces procrastination as a part of my brilliant literary process waste so much time. (Or get this blog post out to the hundreds of friends and fans?)
While this may sound funny to some, I am truly thankful for Dell’s quick turn around on my orders. Earlier I mentioned the ordering of ink cartridges, but what I didn’t mention is that I normally get the ink delivered to my door by the next day. Heaven help the company that disrupts my creative flow by unreliable shipping times.
Conferences and the people who plan conferences are another group of people who top my list of things to be thankful for, especially the ones who put on the Midwest Writer’s Workshop, seeing as how it’s the only one I’ve been to. But seriously, these resources are such an important part of the process. Yes, classes and workshops give you amazing direction and advise, but more than that, you have a chance to submerse yourself in the world of writing. You are around people who not only love reading and books as much as you do, but they also get, on varying levels, what it means to be a writer. I’ve made some great connections and found amazing crit partners after only 3 days… and I can’t wait to do it again next year… it’s like summer camp for those who prose. (Sorry about the bad grammar, but I couldn’t resist.)
In the last year, I have had a chance to meet some amazing published authors and you know what, they are the best teachers I have ever had. Regardless of the venue, be it a workshop led by a best-selling writer with an adaptation underway (shout out to Marcus Sakey) or a cowboy who took some time to mentor a young writer at a meet and greet (another shout out to Phil Dunlap), published authors not only know what you’re going through, they know that, with enough talent and perseverance, you can reach your dreams.
Finally, and I write this at the risk of offending some, but it’s my blog so… I am thankful for the gift of writing that has been bestowed on me by God. There has definitely been a muse at my side during this process and I would be remised not to acknowledge that while I am the one channeling the creativity in me, the talent is a gift I finally got around to unwrapping.
And with that clever reference to the holiday season, I will end this by wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving and Black Friday. I hope you all have many things to be thankful for and don’t forget to BE BOLD!
So I offer up the things I am so very grateful for… from a writer’s perspective.
I am grateful that I have an understanding husband who not only allows me time away from the house to work, but rarely questions when I let him know I just ordered another $100 worth of ink or that I have overdue books at the library… okay, he really doesn’t like the last one, but he deals with it. I am blessed that, while he’s had the nerve to call my passion for writing a “hobby”, people I don’t know report that he’s been keeping them informed on my progress.
I’m thankful that I have two young kids who play really well together when mom is in an editing frenzy. But even more than that, I’m glad I have children who will, without provocation, go to their “personal library” and pick a book off the shelf to read. But even more than that, I’m grateful for the creative minds that are beginning to blossom as they immerse themselves in creative play and take delight in making up stories and songs to entertain us during dinner.
I am thankful for the friends who have been constant sources of encouragement, especially when I’ve been on the brink of quitting. The ones who have read parts or all of my book and said they really, really loved it, even though I look at it and think, “What crap.” I am also blessed that they seem to know just when I need a Girl’s Night Out (GNO) or just a coffee break for some over-priced java concoction… after all, you can’t put a dollar amount on getting your cup refilled.
Speaking of GNOs and coffee breaks, I’m thankful for the baristas and servers who remember I’m writing a book and ask me about it when I see them. Strangers have an odd way of holding you accountable. By giving my “elevator pitch” to someone I’ve never met, I’m encouraged that while this book may not be the one that launches my career, my ideas stir interest in someone who really has no vested interest in the books success or failure.
Another group of strangers I’m thankful for are the agents and publishers who blog about the complicated and sometimes frustrating industry of the written word. I have learned so much about what to do, and more important, what not to do that the process seems just a little less daunting. These people don’t have to blog. They don’t have to tweet. But they do, and for whatever their reason, I am a better writer because of it.
On that note, I am so very, very grateful for social media. And by social media I mean, of course, Facebook and Twitter. How else would someone who proudly embraces procrastination as a part of my brilliant literary process waste so much time. (Or get this blog post out to the hundreds of friends and fans?)
While this may sound funny to some, I am truly thankful for Dell’s quick turn around on my orders. Earlier I mentioned the ordering of ink cartridges, but what I didn’t mention is that I normally get the ink delivered to my door by the next day. Heaven help the company that disrupts my creative flow by unreliable shipping times.
Conferences and the people who plan conferences are another group of people who top my list of things to be thankful for, especially the ones who put on the Midwest Writer’s Workshop, seeing as how it’s the only one I’ve been to. But seriously, these resources are such an important part of the process. Yes, classes and workshops give you amazing direction and advise, but more than that, you have a chance to submerse yourself in the world of writing. You are around people who not only love reading and books as much as you do, but they also get, on varying levels, what it means to be a writer. I’ve made some great connections and found amazing crit partners after only 3 days… and I can’t wait to do it again next year… it’s like summer camp for those who prose. (Sorry about the bad grammar, but I couldn’t resist.)
In the last year, I have had a chance to meet some amazing published authors and you know what, they are the best teachers I have ever had. Regardless of the venue, be it a workshop led by a best-selling writer with an adaptation underway (shout out to Marcus Sakey) or a cowboy who took some time to mentor a young writer at a meet and greet (another shout out to Phil Dunlap), published authors not only know what you’re going through, they know that, with enough talent and perseverance, you can reach your dreams.
Finally, and I write this at the risk of offending some, but it’s my blog so… I am thankful for the gift of writing that has been bestowed on me by God. There has definitely been a muse at my side during this process and I would be remised not to acknowledge that while I am the one channeling the creativity in me, the talent is a gift I finally got around to unwrapping.
And with that clever reference to the holiday season, I will end this by wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving and Black Friday. I hope you all have many things to be thankful for and don’t forget to BE BOLD!
Monday, November 15, 2010
My first
In addition to being a writer, I'm also a mom. And for the first time, one of my children gets to go to the book fair at school. And I, for one, am so excited. I've always been an avid reader, but I think my love affair with the printed page really blossomed during my class's trip to the make shift book store in the auditorium during first grade. I was able to browse through the metal shelving units and find just the right books to open my mind and expand my universe. I still remember the first book I bought at the fair: "My Mother the Witch". (It looks like my affinity for the supernatural has been a long time coming.)
I think my kids are well on the path to becoming a reader like their mom. Story time before bed is the only chance I have to get the kiddos to sit still for more than five minutes at a time and they willingly turn off the TV for a chance to immerse themselves in the tales of the Berenstein Bears or Curious George. They particularly enjoy Curious George because, like him, they are very curious about the world around them and often find their exploration lands them in time out, or at least earns them a swift finger waggling and a stern glare. They love to read back to me, and I have to admit that I’m not always the most patient when this happens… normally because it’s well after the time they are supposed to be snoozing in their beds.
Regardless, I’m excited to see what books my son will select and if his eyes light up at the sight of the infinite (at least to a 5 year old) number of possibilities. I can’t wait to snuggle under the covers and read about Toad’s Wild Ride or some other misadventure of another character and listen to him laugh at the words or pictures that tickle his imagination. And when I’m finished reading, I will remember that the delight of stories doesn’t come from reading every word perfectly on the page. It comes from being a part of the story and letting the experiences be yours, if only for a short while. So if you have a chance, read to a child… it’s an activity that is likely to bring giggles to them and to you. And don’t forget to be bold, dear reader! Be BOLD!
I think my kids are well on the path to becoming a reader like their mom. Story time before bed is the only chance I have to get the kiddos to sit still for more than five minutes at a time and they willingly turn off the TV for a chance to immerse themselves in the tales of the Berenstein Bears or Curious George. They particularly enjoy Curious George because, like him, they are very curious about the world around them and often find their exploration lands them in time out, or at least earns them a swift finger waggling and a stern glare. They love to read back to me, and I have to admit that I’m not always the most patient when this happens… normally because it’s well after the time they are supposed to be snoozing in their beds.
Regardless, I’m excited to see what books my son will select and if his eyes light up at the sight of the infinite (at least to a 5 year old) number of possibilities. I can’t wait to snuggle under the covers and read about Toad’s Wild Ride or some other misadventure of another character and listen to him laugh at the words or pictures that tickle his imagination. And when I’m finished reading, I will remember that the delight of stories doesn’t come from reading every word perfectly on the page. It comes from being a part of the story and letting the experiences be yours, if only for a short while. So if you have a chance, read to a child… it’s an activity that is likely to bring giggles to them and to you. And don’t forget to be bold, dear reader! Be BOLD!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Social Media is my kyrptonite
It's a given that, in this day and age, you need to take advantage of social media and the vastness of the internet. But how do you get out there and get connected without giving up too much of the time you're supposed to be writing? I know there are bloggers who make a living off of their blogs, and that is awesome. But I am not nearly talented enough to come up with a new topic every week (as you can see) let alone every day. I wish I could, but it takes all the discipline I have to keep focused on my book.
So how does a cyber-introvert connect? I would love to know how my fellow bloggers/writers do it!
So how does a cyber-introvert connect? I would love to know how my fellow bloggers/writers do it!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Query Letter for review!
I am at my wits end with this very important pain in my behind and so I offer it up to you, dear reader. I don't think it's so bad that the Query Shark would be willing to take a bite out of it, but still, it's not quite right. Please review and comment your thoughts.
Dear Agent,
{Insert personal statement relating to specific agent.}
For 18 year old Hannah Slaughtery, science has always been the easiest way to understand the world; a place to be studied and analyzed. When an unexpected invitation to a leadership seminar sponsored by the Institute arrives, she accepts, unprepared for the mystical journey that awaits her.
The guise of the conference soon gives way to the real reason Hannah and the four other participants have been brought together. Born of mystical bloodlines, each individual must chose whether or not they will relinquish their mortal lives and transform into a band of supernatural warriors called the Partizans.
Once changed, they must stand against a ruthless and maniacal organization whose nefarious reach threatens to rid the world of humanity. Their mission, though difficult, is nothing compared to figuring out how to work together without killing each other first.
While intended to be the first in a YA series, The Partizans is complete and can stand alone at 77,000 words. Thanks you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Dear Agent,
{Insert personal statement relating to specific agent.}
For 18 year old Hannah Slaughtery, science has always been the easiest way to understand the world; a place to be studied and analyzed. When an unexpected invitation to a leadership seminar sponsored by the Institute arrives, she accepts, unprepared for the mystical journey that awaits her.
The guise of the conference soon gives way to the real reason Hannah and the four other participants have been brought together. Born of mystical bloodlines, each individual must chose whether or not they will relinquish their mortal lives and transform into a band of supernatural warriors called the Partizans.
Once changed, they must stand against a ruthless and maniacal organization whose nefarious reach threatens to rid the world of humanity. Their mission, though difficult, is nothing compared to figuring out how to work together without killing each other first.
While intended to be the first in a YA series, The Partizans is complete and can stand alone at 77,000 words. Thanks you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Monday, October 25, 2010
Final revisions are done!
Okay, okay, yes, I admit it. The title of this post might be a little premature, but with the exception of typing in the edits and rewriting the last chapter... I am done. Yeah... it's a lot premature. But honestly, in comparison to what I have been doing for the last year, this is the end. (Hearing Jim Morrison in the background of my brain... wow... now I really want to listen to The Doors!)
I gave myself until November 1st to finish the edits. Why that date? Well, because I have been editing for over a year. Not writing... editing. At some point, you have to say, enough is enough. This is as good as you can make it. And second, November is National Novel Writing Month and I have a new series that I am ready to spend a little time on. No worries... the Partizans have not been put aside... I just feel that this next book will be a good change of pace and challenge me as a writer. Finally, I would like to get my query process under way. (BTW, I should be posting my Q in the next day or so. Please give feedback and let me know what you think.)
So, what have I learned about writing a book in the last year and a half? #1. There really is no such thing as a completely perfect manuscript, even after nine edits. #2. Writers conferences are so worth it. #3. Everyone needs critique partners. #4. If I had to break it down, I would say talent is 30% of the book writing success equation, good crit partners are 10% and persistence makes up the remaining 60%. Add a love of editing and you have the remainder of 110%.
Why 110%? Because someone only giving 100% isn't fully committed. Seriously. I have been fortunate enough to be able to stay home and not have to work out of the house, but that doesn't mean I haven't had to give up things. What, you ask? Well, first there's sleep. Oh how I have given up sleep. Second, my house is not at all ready for company. OK, OK, it's never ready for company, but now I don't even try to hide it. Third, and this is the one that hurts, but I have given up time with my family. When Lou is home in the evening, most of the time I take off to work at a place where they don't call me mommy. And I come back well after the boys are in bed.
Was it worth it? You bet. Writing a first novel is tough. There is no one standing over you lightening the fire to get you to sit down and work. There is also no one there chanting your name at a movie premiere. But that's part of the process that makes it worth it. I did this. Yes, I had amazing help and support, but I am the one who put my butt in a chair and took all the words I've ever known and strung them together not to make sentences, but to tell a story. Even if this book never sees the inside of a publishing house, no one can take away the fact that I did it. I worked hard, and I can't think of a time when I didn't love what I did! So wish me luck and look for excerts in the months to come! And take some time to be bold!
I gave myself until November 1st to finish the edits. Why that date? Well, because I have been editing for over a year. Not writing... editing. At some point, you have to say, enough is enough. This is as good as you can make it. And second, November is National Novel Writing Month and I have a new series that I am ready to spend a little time on. No worries... the Partizans have not been put aside... I just feel that this next book will be a good change of pace and challenge me as a writer. Finally, I would like to get my query process under way. (BTW, I should be posting my Q in the next day or so. Please give feedback and let me know what you think.)
So, what have I learned about writing a book in the last year and a half? #1. There really is no such thing as a completely perfect manuscript, even after nine edits. #2. Writers conferences are so worth it. #3. Everyone needs critique partners. #4. If I had to break it down, I would say talent is 30% of the book writing success equation, good crit partners are 10% and persistence makes up the remaining 60%. Add a love of editing and you have the remainder of 110%.
Why 110%? Because someone only giving 100% isn't fully committed. Seriously. I have been fortunate enough to be able to stay home and not have to work out of the house, but that doesn't mean I haven't had to give up things. What, you ask? Well, first there's sleep. Oh how I have given up sleep. Second, my house is not at all ready for company. OK, OK, it's never ready for company, but now I don't even try to hide it. Third, and this is the one that hurts, but I have given up time with my family. When Lou is home in the evening, most of the time I take off to work at a place where they don't call me mommy. And I come back well after the boys are in bed.
Was it worth it? You bet. Writing a first novel is tough. There is no one standing over you lightening the fire to get you to sit down and work. There is also no one there chanting your name at a movie premiere. But that's part of the process that makes it worth it. I did this. Yes, I had amazing help and support, but I am the one who put my butt in a chair and took all the words I've ever known and strung them together not to make sentences, but to tell a story. Even if this book never sees the inside of a publishing house, no one can take away the fact that I did it. I worked hard, and I can't think of a time when I didn't love what I did! So wish me luck and look for excerts in the months to come! And take some time to be bold!
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